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NASB | Romans 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 1:23 and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. |
Bible Question:
Is it wrong to have pictures of Jesus on your wall, since He is the glorified Christ today? thanx, retxar |
Bible Answer: Greetings retxar! I own several print copies of some of the most famous paintings of Jesus Christ! And I have them all here on the walls in my study.. As I presently look up, my prints that hang upon my walls include "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci (the original), "Christ of St. John of the Cross" by Salvador Dali, and "The Small Crucifixion" by Grunewald (1505). (*) Since I own prints of these paintings, is it a sin for me to own them and to enjoy looking at them every day? No, since I do not worship the paintings (or prints) themselves, but I do worship the Lord who inspired these paintings! I might add that the representations of the figure of Christ by da Vinci, Dali and Grunewald all differ greatly, but each masterfully depicting the same story! I also own a fold-out poster of the Sistene Chapel by Michelangelo, and his depiction of Christ is extremely different from that of the others as well. And then, of course, there are the pictures that I have of the Shroud of Turin. If the Shroud is indeed the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, then da Vinci, Grunewald, Dali and Michelangelo just have it all wrong! :-) But Christ is so much more than just a representation or heirloom! He is God Himself, and He can fill us and be with us! He is the Sustainer of life, and we learn so much more about Him by not observing the intricacies of a painting, but by reading His holy Word! I believe that the "symbolism" or extreme imagery of the Eastern Orthodox Church may be going to a bit of the extreme when it is suggested that one cannot worship properly without having the images of Deity at hand. I believe that this may border on idolatry, and the Catholic Church agreed with this premise in the 12th century, since the Holy Land was under the possession of the Islamic Caliphate at the time, and the Christians sought fit to rid all of western Christendom of these "idolatrous" images, since Christ was exacting judgment on the church for so freely violating the Second of Moses' Ten Commandments (or so it was thought). "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:" Exodus 20:4 [KJV] However, I believe that this question and the one about wearing cross necklesses go hand in hand- that there is no harm or fear or anything wrong with enjoying and celebrating the image of Christ (or what is thought to be) as long as it is carried out in a manner that is pleasing to His will and does not lead to anything but a reminder of Him and of that Day on Calvary.. I am in full agreement with what Hank has already written on this thread. Blessings to you retxar! Nolan (*) - available at www.allposters.com |